Cut to now. It's New York City where a dying Brontosaurus that has escaped from a zoo is blocking the traffic. Nobody seems to care that it is dying, only that it's in the way. In this jam we see Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), who we find out is working for a pharmaceutical company and is there to meet up with Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) - a no nonsense, for hire, special operations expert. Krebs explains that the pharma company he works for has worked out that a cure for heart disease is very likely possible if the blood from three very specific giant species are collected. These can only be found in the equatorial regions off South America where the species' decided far too dangerous to be in zoos were left to their own devices - and have thrived.
A little later they are both in a closing-down Dino museum where they meet Dr Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a paleontologist who has developed the tech for the blood extraction in this mission - but is surprised to find out that he is also going on the expedition. The location then moves to Suriname where all three are all suitably kitted up and are meeting rough-and-ready Captain Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) in a quiet port. Three further members of Bennett's team are there and after a bit of wrangling with the cost of the team's hire, they set off into the equatorial Atlantic Ocean in his sturdy vessel for their destination island - the Ile Saint-Hubert - where all three target species are known to live.
Meanwhile, already out at sea, the Delgado family, father, his two daughters and the eldest's offspring's deadbeat boyfriend are sailing across the ocean in a medium sized sloop. Suddenly they are broadsided by a Mosasaurus (one of the three key species) and their boat capsizes. Clambering on the upturned hull, they send out a 'mayday' on the emergency radio that was recovered. Twenty seven miles to the north, Captain Kincaid hears the distress call and against the strong wishes of Krebs to not divert from the mission, sets a new course to try to help the stricken family.
Like the recent Mission: Impossible film there is a lot of exposition in the first third of this two hour thirteen minute adventure before the real action gets going. Directed by renowned visual effects connoisseur Gareth Edwards, set pieces are very eye-catching on the big screen and all the beasties look suitably realistic in their exotic island locations. The story is easy to follow but is so rehashed from many of the earlier films in the franchise that nothing feels fresh except the cast.
Johansson is well chosen as the kick-ass leader of the expedition and Ali plays a good mercenary with bigger-than-normal dollop of humanity. Friend is solid as your usual two-dimensional unscrupulous company man and they all, on the whole, make the best of a sub-par script. I didn't find many of supporting cast very engaging though, as it looked like dino grub was all that some were put in there for. In fact, I'm still not sure what the purpose of the Delgado family thread was except to maybe to put more bite sized morsels in front of giant jaws.
Perhaps I'm getting too old to be wowed by seeing prehistoric creatures like I was in the first film over thirty years ago, as I definitely felt a bit underwhelmed. I'm sure that this latest offering is still going to make for a decent Box Office as the thrill-ride for this sort of fodder is sill ideal for lots of cinema-goers this Summer season.
